The allegations of abuse of power weighing on Marie Montpetit are overwhelming to the point where her reintegration into the liberal caucus is already compromised, Liberal leader Dominique Anglade said on Tuesday.
As the allegations against Ms. Montpetit accumulate, Ms. Anglade defended herself for having taken lightly the conflicting situations she had to deal with about her ex-colleague.
During a press briefing at the National Assembly, the liberal leader explained that the abundance of information received in recent days compromises her return. Even if Ms. Montpetit expressed a will to change, made amends, or offered an apology, that would be insufficient.
“With the amount of information I have today, with the facts that have been presented to me, I don’t see how that would happen,” she said. This is what I can tell you. “
The duty reported the testimonies of eight employees or ex-employees who worked with Ms. Montpetit. They allege a deleterious work climate that she created with insults, shouting and denigration.
Liberal Chief Whip Filomena Rotiroti referred on Tuesday to the investigation process surrounding harassment complaints in place at the National Assembly, without specifying whether formal complaints have been received or whether an investigation is underway.
“Our role as officers is to make sure that we accompany people who come to see us who wish to file a complaint and support them in the process,” she said.
Ms. Anglade said she did not give any preferential treatment to Ms. Montpetit, who co-chaired her leadership race for the Liberal Party of Quebec (PLQ).
“What we want is to make people feel good when they come to work,” she explained. Then it is independently of the individual relations that one can have with someone. “
Ms. Anglade assures that she was unaware of all the alleged deviations of Ms. Montpetit, before being elected head of the PLQ.
“From the moment when I am the leader of the party and that I am responsible for my political formation, and that facts are brought to me, I have the obligation to react, and I have the obligation to take action” did she say.
For his part, the chairman of the liberal caucus, Pierre Arcand, was also completely ignorant of the alleged situations, while he was interim leader, before the election of Ms. Anglade.
“I had regular meetings with the officers of my political formation and I did not hear, at the time, a complaint about Ms. Montpetit,” he said.
Further details will follow.